Miami Firefighting Foam Lawyer
With many areas of our country suffering from drought, as well as high temperatures, a focus on fire prevention has become more important than ever. Unfortunately, some of the substances that are utilized in fighting fires, while effective at smothering flames, are not safe for the firefighters who are required to wield them. In fact, in recent years, a number of firefighters have come forward with concerns about the use of the substance after being diagnosed with various cancers. While nothing can compensate someone for having to undergo this type of devastating diagnosis, recovering monetary damages can go a long way towards helping victims and their families pay off mounting medical debt, supplement lost income, and obtain the treatment that they need. To learn more about filing this type of lawsuit, please call an experienced Miami firefighting foam lawyer today.
Firefighting Foam
Firefighters use two types of foam, known as Class A and Class B foams, when putting out fires. Class A foams, which are used to extinguish fires caused by brush, wood, or paper are generally safe for firefighters, as they don’t usually contain polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances. Class B foams, on the other hand, which are used for fire suppression, training, and flammable vapor suppression, do often contain these substances. Of these foams, aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) are considered the most dangerous, involving the highest risk not only for human health, but also for the environment.
What are AFFFs?
Aqueous film forming foam is a firefighting foam that was specifically designed to extinguish liquid fuel fires and has been widely used since the 1960’s. The use of AFFF hasn’t been limited to fire departments, but can also often be found in chemical plants, airports, facilities that store and process flammable liquids, oil refineries, highway emergency response teams, oil tankers, and offshore platforms. Unfortunately, PFAS, which is used in creating AFFF, is toxic to both humans and animals and may even be carcinogenic. In recent years, the FDA has linked exposure to these chemicals to an elevated risk of adverse health effects and certain cancers. While many manufacturers began phasing out the use of PFAS in its products in the early 2000’s, the chemical can still be found in older stock and has had a lasting effect on the health of thousands of individuals.
Firefighting Foam Lawsuits
Starting last year and continuing in 2021, hundreds of firefighters have filed lawsuits against the product’s manufacturers, claiming that toxic chemicals in the AFFF firefighting foam caused them to suffer from devastating medical conditions, including:
- Breast cancer;
- Ulcerative colitis;
- Kidney cancer;
- Bladder cancer;
- Testicular cancer;
- Testicular pain;
- Kidney cysts; and
- Kidney tumors.
In the lawsuits, the victims allege that a variety of companies knew that the PFAS used in firefighting foam could build up in the body, causing serious health problems, but failed to warn the public. Besides these individual lawsuits, several states have also filed suit against 3M and a variety of other manufacturers for PFAS contamination and the cost of AFFF clean up.
Set Up a Free Consultation Today
To speak with an experienced Miami firefighting foam lawyer about filing a lawsuit against the company responsible for creating a product that may have caused your own cancer, please call Spencer Morgan Law at 305-423-3800 today.